The Maltese Falcon: Questions I Wish I had Asked My Father (Jerz’s CCCC 05 Notes)

This was a personal and literary reflection by Jo Hammett, the daughter of noir detective novelist Dasheill Hammett. The novel and movie The Maltese Falcon are set in San Francisco, so a conference session on the subject seemed appropriate.

After the commanding performance of a master storyteller like Perl, making the transition to Hammett’s low-key presentation was difficult — especially because the acoustics of today’s sessions were no better than they were yesterday.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed her identification of the voice and personality of the narrator in what seems at first glance a novel told through Sam Spade’s senses. I just might include a noir novel in my next 20thC American Lit class. It might be just the thing to help reduce midterm stress.